Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 8 Unit 1 You—The Teacher of Tomorrow This list of personal characteristics is important in all teaching situa- tions. What other qualities can you add to the list? Additionally, successful teachers respect their students, love learning, have high expectations for themselves and their students, and are adaptable. A Teacher’s Typical Day Most teachers spend their days designing and presenting classroom learning experiences. This is where creativity and knowledge of students’ learning preferences and abilities is necessary. As time permits and depend- ing on class size, teachers may also work with students individually. Teachers are responsible for assessing the learning of students. This involves grading assignments and evaluating student participation in class activities. They summarize these evaluations on report cards and discuss them at meetings with parents or guardians. In addition to classroom activities, teachers coordinate with other special- ists, which may include counselors, reading specialists, speech therapists, and special education teachers. They may supervise extracurricular activities (those before or after school) and have other duties, as well. Determining What to Teach Do teachers teach whatever they want? No. Curriculum must be decided before teaching begins. Curriculum is the term that describes what schools teach. (Curricula is the plural form.) It includes all the courses taught and what is taught in each course, as well as how the courses are sequenced (Figure 1.2). Who determines the curriculum? That depends. There are usually a number of influ- ences. Each subject area has national curric- ulum standards developed by related national education organizations and state departments of education. While use of these curriculums is voluntary, they have significant influence. In addition, some states set curriculum standards for courses taught in the state. This helps make certain that students are ready to advance to the next level of courses, even if they move to another school. School-based curriculum is another alternative. With a school-based curriculum, teachers are involved in making decisions about what is taught in their classrooms and schools. According to advocates—people who support or promote the interests of others—of school-based curriculum, local teach- ers can best design curriculum to meet the needs of students. The Rewards of Teaching Many experienced teachers will tell you that teaching is inspiring, chal- lenging, and as unique as each student. Every student presents an oppor- tunity to the teacher. Since each has his or her own way of learning and personality, the teacher’s challenge is to determine how to best help each student maximize learning. Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com Figure 1.2 The established curriculum helps teachers determine what to teach.